Change From Randomization to End of Treatment in Scores on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) [ Time Frame: baseline and 7 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

The HAM-A is administered by an interviewer who asks a series of questions related to symptoms of anxiety. The interviewer then rates the individual on a five-point scale for each of the 14 items. Seven of the items specifically address psychic anxiety and the remaining seven items address somatic anxiety. The total anxiety score ranges from 0 to 56, lower scores are better. Change from randomization to end of treatment in scores on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A)is measured.

Changes From Randomization to End of Treatment in Scores on the Beck Depression Inventory [ Time Frame: baseline and 7 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Scoring

The BDI consist of twenty-one questions about how the subject has been feeling in the last week. Each question has a set of at least four possible answer choices, ranging in intensity as follows:

(0) I do not feel sad.

I feel sad.

I am sad all the time and I can't snap out of it.

I am so sad or unhappy that I can't stand it.

A value of 0 to 3 is assigned for each answer and the total score is compared to a key to determine the depression's severity. The standard cut-offs are as follows:[6] 0-9: indicates minimal depression 10-18: indicates mild depression 19-29: indicates moderate depression 30-63: indicates severe depression.

Higher total scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms.

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Change From Randomization to End of Treatment in Scores for the Clinical Global Impression(CGI-S and CGI-I) [ Time Frame: baseline and 7 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Scale for scoring:

Clinical Global Impression(CGI-S)

= Normal, no symptoms

= Borderline ill

= Mildly ill

= Moderately ill

= Markedly ill

= Severely ill

= Most extremely ill

Clinical Global Impression(CGI-I)-improvement since treatment

very much improved

much improved

minimally improved

no change from baseline

minimally worse

much worse

very much worse

Change From Randomization to End of Treatment for Trail Making Tet (TMT) [ Time Frame: baseline to 7 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Trail Making Test (TMT)Results for TMT are reported as the number of seconds required to complete the task. Higher scores reveal greater impairment.

Average =29 seconds, Deficient > 78 seconds

Changes From Randomization to End of Treatment in Scores on the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) [ Time Frame: baseline and 7 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Changes From Randomization to End of Treatment in Scores on the Sheehan Disability Scores (SDS) [ Time Frame: baseline and 7 weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Scoring:

Participants rate the extent to which work, social life, and home life are impaired by his or her symptoms. A 10 point scale is used where 0= not impaired and 10 is highly impaired indicating. The three aspects of life can be summed up into a single dimensional measure of global functional impairment that indicates 0= not impaired and 30 = highly impaired. Scores of 5 or greater are on any of the three scales are considered significant.

Treatment effects of Escitalopram in Generalized Anxiety Disorder in patients with HIV/AIDS.Open label, rater-blinded, prospective, 6-week trial of escitalopram.Subjects received escitalopram 10-20mg. Escitalopram was started at 10mg per day and augmented weekly in 10mg per day increments, the maximum dose being 20mg per day.

Drug: Escitalopram

10-20 mg/day oral of Escitalopram for 6-weeks. Escitalopram flexible dose (10-20 mg/day). A forced escalation schedule of escitalopram was used to titrate it to the maximum tolerated dose. Drug was discontinued at the end of the study.

Detailed Description:

Anxiety disorders are twice as prevalent among HIV-infected patients as they are in the general population. Approximately 25%-40% of HIV-infected patients have anxiety disorders; Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic disorder and post-traumatic Stress Disorder being the most frequent. Non-adherence to anti-retroviral medications is commonly seen in patients with HIV with GAD.The role of specific selective serotonin reuptake (SSRIs) in the treatment of HIV-patients with GAD is unclear. Escitalopram has been used in the treatment of GAD in the general population. It has been shown to be safe in HIV-patients with a tolerable side-effect profile. However, whether it can improve GAD in HIV-infected patients has not yet been investigated.

In the opinion of the investigator the clinical condition precludes participation in the trial.

Contacts and Locations

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Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00887679